FORold-schoolJon B. first of promoter's series of R&B concerts

THE NEW PLAN

December 17, 2009|HOWARD DUKES Tribune Staff Writer

Robert Taylor could have remained on the path he forged as a promoter of hip-hop shows in the area. But the Elkhart resident, who's also the head of 574 Entertainment, says he is ready to move into a different direction: bringing nationally known R&B and neo-soul artists to the area. He takes his first step there with Saturday's concert by Jon B. at O'Laughlin Auditorium on the campus of Saint Mary's College. For Taylor, it's a matter of filling a need. "There is not really anything to do here for people who are 25 and older who don't want to go to a club," he says. "These people would love to be able to take their lady out and not have to worry about altercations." R&B crooner Jon B. is the kind of singer who can create the kind of intimate vibe that Taylor believes mature R&B audiences crave. Many R&B fans will remember Jonathan "Jon B." Buck as the singer who scored a series of hits in the late 1990s and the early part of this decade. His soft, feathery tenor reminds many people of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. That shouldn't be surprising. Jon B. counts Indianapolis native Edmonds as a major influence. "I had been a fan of his music and had great respect for his talent as a producer and also his style as a singer," he says about Edmonds. "And one of the things that I told everyone is that it was inevitable that we would work together." Jon B. worked to make that happen. He started circulating demos of his music throughout Los Angeles, and one of them ended up in the hands of record executive Tracey Edmonds, who was Babyface's wife at the time. Jon B. became a songwriter for Babyface, writing songs for Toni Braxton and Michael Jackson before releasing his own CD, "Bonafide," in 1995. That CD yielded the hit song "Someone to Love," in which Jon B. sang with his idol and mentor. Jon B. went on to make five other albums, including "Helpless Romantic," which has sold more than 600,000 copies since its 2008 release despite the fact that the singer is an independent artist. Jon B. says its difficult for independent artists to reach those kinds of sales numbers. "You are under the radar in terms of people knowing about you, because they are so used to seeing everything sensationalized," he says. "So when they don't see your name on a marquee or if they don't see your video on MTV or BET or hear your music on the radio playing every five minutes, they really don't have a good idea that your music is out. Unless they're fans and they're searching for your stuff." In that regard, Jon B. says he's been fortunate. His fans have remained loyal. Jon B. believes this is also a good time for a soul or R&B singer. "The bottom line is that the world needs grown men who are able to express true emotions," he says. "People want to hear some genuine love regardless of whether they have someone in their lives, and it's a beautiful thing to be able to fit into people's lives and bring some peace because there is so much discord and competition in the world." Taylor is confident that R&B fans will find their way to the O'Laughlin Auditorium on Saturday night. He knows that the auditorium located on the Saint Mary's campus is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking of a venue to hold a R&B concert. "I'm not really concerned about that, because if people want to find it, they will find it," he says. He also notes that there are factors that will attract music fans. First of all, Jon B. is a name that is well-known to fans of 1990s R&B music. Taylor also wanted to keep ticket prices within the reach of his fans: $22 for reserved seating and $35 for VIP seating. Taylor says his hope is to book one show a month, and he is in talks with several artists. "People keep asking for something different to do," he says. "Now, we will see if they will support it."Staff writer Howard Dukes: hdukes@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6369